Trending News: There's A Good Chance GSP Will Be Making A Big Comeback

Why Is This Important?

Long Story Short

Former UFC Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is mulling a comeback to the octagon. He'll undergo a 6-week training camp, after which he'll evaluate his ability (and desire) to compete again.

Long Story

It's been about two years since MMA fans have seen Georges St-Pierre in the UFC, and his last appearance wasn't a pretty one. Bloodied, bruised and visibly shaken after winning a hard-fought title defense over Johny Hendricks, GSP announced that he was stepping away from MMA for an indeterminate amount of time for unspecified personal reasons. At the time, anyone's best guess was that he'd had his bell rung one too many times thanks to his close-quarters combat style, and it had finally worn him down. He may soon get the chance to prove us wrong, however, as he's reportedly considering a comeback to the UFC.

Speaking with Fight Hub (and transposed to print via MMA Mania), GSP's boxing coach Freddie Roach announced that he was planning a 6-week training camp to see if he still has the fire to compete at the highest level.

"He's gonna train for a fight," said Roach. "He's gonna have a six-week training camp. And at the end of the six weeks, if he feels like he's ready to fight and he's hungry for it like he always has been, he's gonna do it. He's gonna fight one more time."

And if he's not feeling it? Then he won't fight, and will instead formally retire. Roach thinks it's "a smart idea," and it's hard to argue. Whereas most deposed fighters are desperate for one last chance — any chance — at glory and a paycheck, GSP is decorated enough that he can afford to say no to a fight if a month and a half of intensive training doesn't ignite his will to compete.

Besides an ACL tear last spring that sidelined him for a while, St-Pierre has reportedly been a regular in the gym so his conditioning probably won't be an issue. The big question though, should he choose to compete, is whether or not he can adapt to the rapidly changing nature of the sport. GSP, originally a striker who quickly became a dominant wrestler, won a lot of championships with effective (if not uninspired) striking, an otherworldly takedown defense and a dominant "ground-n-pound" game. Those skills are still valuable, but right now the UFC feels like it's kind to people who can perform on the ground but throw heavy leather on their feet — even Light Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, an Olympic wrestler, has been getting it done with his hands lately.

It's unclear if, at 34 and after two years out of competition, GSP can make the necessary minor adaptations to be considered a contender. Hopefully he does, because it would be nice to see a familiar face back in the octagon.

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Does a 34-year-old GSP have what it takes to climb back up the rankings?

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He was smart enough to take time off when he needed it, so I hope he's able to return and dominate again.